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Fast Company
2 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Meet Soot, an explosive new media experience that's killing the social feed
My daughter is 7 years old, and when she wakes up, the first thing she'll often do is position herself in the center of an unruly pile of stuff on our basement floor. Construction paper. Tape. Stuffed animals. Pipe cleaners. Markers. Bits of ribbon. To me, it's the definition of disarray. To her, it puts the creative process in arm's reach. It provides exactly what she needs to, minutes later, emerge with a charming invention or piece of art. I mention this not only as a proud father, but because it's the best metaphor I've been able to find to describe Soot. Soot is a visual catalog that's in many ways reminiscent of Pinterest, Behance, or even Instagram. But with $7.7 million in funding, its team is focused less on building the next social network than challenging the status quo of creative UX. Instead of showing just one image or a few images at a time, Soot displays hundreds to thousands of images on your screen at once, allowing you to mainline loosely sorted visual information. Built upon open-source AI and data viz technologies, Soot sorts and organizes images by visual similarity, or by metadata like an artist's name. The spacing is intentionally organic rather than overly rigid, so that what you're looking at becomes a resolved shape instead of a grid. And what you're left with is less a feed or website than it is a digital painter's palette, or a vast mood board of visual inspiration for you to wade through with your cursor. In this sense, the premise of Soot is perhaps more philosophical than directly practical. 'It's 2025, and we're still surfing in the vertical linear scroll. [People] look at the feed as the upper limit of what we can do,' says Soot cofounder Jake Harper. Harper believes that the file structures of the Macintosh share the same logic with the scroll of TikTok or Instagram. These are linear organizational views optimized to show you one thing buried under another at a time. The folders and subfolders that inhabit our desktop interfaces force us to inefficiently dig for information and can devolve from discovery to compulsion. 'Instead of having information in a scroll, you could see from structures that [pool] like a well that's not as insidious as the feeds,' he says. 'A lot of the negative impact of computers is inherent to the geometries of the interface.' An exploratory interface Harper began his career designing as a sound artist with Soundwalk Collective, before making his way to the self-driving car company Zoox (acquired by Amazon) to lead the expression and communication of robotic vehicles. His cofounder, Mary Nally, is the founder of Drop Everything, a creative retreat taking part every two years on the tiny Irish island of Inis Oírr. Soot is organized into invite-only personal spaces, and then everything from the service combines onto a site called Soot World. That includes 4 million pieces of media at the moment, from its 25,000 users in a private beta. Each Soot space can be built from media sourced in all sorts of ways, from direct uploading to copy and pasting URLs from YouTube or a social media account. Monthly subscriptions will be available for individuals, and also companies, as the service scales. But what about the Soot experience itself? A tour through the Guggenheim's catalog demonstrates how the interface sings. Drag around, and you'll see the groupings of impressionists like Monet abutting geometrically focused futurists like Gino Severini, before arriving at the dynamic explosions of Wassily Kandinsky. In terms of art history, you can tap into each piece to see its name, year, and provenance, revealing that it's all a bit of a blender. But zoomed out visually, Soot creates a gradient vibe that just makes sense. 'I remember the first time I saw all my own artwork in Soot,' Harper says. 'It was like, damn, seeing things from 15 years ago—a rejected student project next to something I made a week ago. It was a really weird experience.' The interface is fascinating in that it demonstrates just how low a lift our single image feeds are in an era when we all have supercomputers in our pockets. The fact that I can mouse over thousands of images through my browser, without my aging Macbook cursing at me through the fan, is a most certain demonstration that our computers are able to do a lot more than we ask of them these days. Zooming in and out in Soot with my trackwheel is instantaneous. And the entire school of images (they do self-organize almost like fish) moves with a satisfying inertia. That said, in my own observations, I found that I was really only focusing on one image at a time. Soot didn't open some new capacity in my brain. But seeing these interrelated ideas in my peripheral vision still seemed meaningful. And being able to explore a swatch of images in X, Y, and Z space felt more like true exploration than the whims of the algorithm. I am curious to see where Soot goes next, and can only imagine how we might begin to push the norms of UX as ideas like this leave the web browser and entire spaces like VR. I honestly don't know if the next 20 years of visual interface looks more like this, or more like the conventions in the 20 years we've had before. But I do think that, in the era of AI and seemingly limitless processing, we need more experimentation rather than less. We need to stretch what we think might be possible before we settle for what's worked so far. 'We're not fully there yet. Right now we're in our GPT2 era,' says Harper, alluding to the moment before OpenAI went mainstream. 'The core users love it, but it's not ready for mass-market adoption.'
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Discover old Seoul, inland tidal flat and art of Patti Smith
This weekend, get a feel for old parts of Seoul by joining a guided tour by tram. If you are a fan of Patti Smith, you won't want to miss the iconic rocker's unique exhibition at Piknic featuring immersive audio installation, video work and paintings. Outside of Seoul, the 22-meter wooden spiral observatory at the salt farm-turned-eco park in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, affords a panoramic view of the surrounding wetlands. Ride through Seoul on WeRide Seoul Tram Explore Seoul's historic neighborhoods this weekend in a unique way by hopping aboard the WeRide Seoul Tram, a retro-style guided tour that rolls through the heart of the city, blending nostalgia with storytelling. Inspired by the early 20th century streetcars that once served Hanseong, now Seoul, this modern reimagining takes passengers on a leisurely 90-minute journey through key historical sites including Bukchon, Seochon, Gwanghwamun and the Blue House. Departing from Cheongjin Park near Jonggak Station on Subway Line No. 1, the tram accommodates up to 13 passengers and includes stops for short walks at scenic spots. A conductor and guide share stories of Seoul's four grand gates and the surrounding districts. Each rider receives a traditional-style ticket, punched by the conductor at boarding, for an immersive experience. The tram operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Riders must be at least 100 cm tall and arrive 20 minutes early for a safety briefing. Helmets and seat belts are provided. Tickets are priced at 40,000 won on weekdays, 45,000 won on weekends, and 79,000 won for the English-language tour. WeRide Seoul Tram 19 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (yoohong@ Legendary punk icon Patti Smith's poetic sound art Legendary American singer-songwriter, poet and inlfuential punk rock figure Patti Smith meets audiences in Seoul through her exhibition held in collaboration with experimental sound art collective Soundwalk Collective. The artists have collaborated for more than 10 years to delve into the most relevant topics of today such as peace, environment, art and humanity. The exhibition 'Soundwalk Collective & Patti Smith: CORRESPONDENCES" at Piknic in Seoul features immersive audio installation, video works, paintings and archives. 'I know there are a lot of dark and sad things in this exhibition, but it is because people have got to now. On the other hand, though, there is also hope, creativity, art — taking things that are dead and giving them life through remembrance and making a vow to go forward and do something,' Smith wrote on the exhibition. The project 'The Invisible Landscape' was exclusively conducted for the Seoul exhibition, inspired by the Demilitarized Zone, and is presented on the rooftop of the building. The artworks on the walls and terrarium at the center of the space represent the natural landscape and rare plants from the DMZ. The exhibition, which opened April 19, runs through July 20. 194 Namchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul (yunapark@ Hidden wetland gem Just 40 minutes southwest of Seoul sits Gaetgol Eco Park, a former salt farm transformed into a sprawling ecological sanctuary. This rare inland tidal flat — the only one in Gyeonggi Province — features narrow waterways where seawater cuts deep channels into the mainland. The park buzzes with seasonal activities year-round — visitors can zip around on pedal boats in summer, catch the cosmos blooms in fall, or hop on electric cars and multi-person bicycles year round. Nature enthusiasts can spot wetland creatures like red-clawed fiddler crabs and mudskippers navigating the tidal flats. Salt-tolerant plants like glasswort and seepweed add splashes of color to the landscape. The area preserves its past through rectangular salt pans, brine storage tanks and water wheels. Visitors can try their hand at the old-school salt-making process in these restored facilities. The highlight is the 22-meter wooden spiral observatory. Those with steady nerves may climb the gently swaying structure to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding wetlands. The park is open year-round. Admission and parking is free.
The Mainichi
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Rock legend Patti Smith says 'people have the power' in anti-nuke talk with Japan hibakusha
HIROSHIMA -- "The people have the power," U.S. punk rock legend Patti Smith called out to a crowd of some 250 people in Hiroshima, the western Japan city where the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945. Smith, currently in Japan for the "Correspondences" live performance project in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, stopped by Hiroshima on April 28. She joined a dialogue session with 87-year-old "hibakusha," or A-bomb survivor, Keiko Ogura in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. After delivering a spoken word version of her 1988 single "People Have the Power," Smith remarked, "Let's rise up together in great numbers against injustice, war, and any inhumanity against humanity." During the dialogue, Ogura detailed her experience of surviving the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing of Hiroshima as an 8-year-old girl. At the time, she was near her home, which was 2.4 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, from the hypocenter. A blinding flash of light was followed by an enormous blast, and Ogura said she was beaten against the road, becoming unconscious. Years later, she was shocked to see people around her pass away due to what was suspected to be radiation-induced diseases. "Without any scars or burns, they died, and many survivors suffer and deal with fear even now," she said. Smith, 78, shared memories of her deceased father, who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, and was sent to the Philippines and New Guinea. "When the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, my father cried. When I was little, he explained to me about the bomb and the terrible destruction. I wanted to come here and ask for forgiveness, on behalf of my father," Smith said. Ogura expressed hibakusha's determination to keep speaking out to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, saying their pledge is contained in the inscription on the cenotaph for A-bomb victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The inscription reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace; For we shall not repeat the evil." "Nuclear weapons were built not to defend, only to destroy," Smith said. Pointing to Ogura, she continued, "This 8-year-old girl did not seek vengeance, but peace. She rises up and tries to spread love and a peaceful message globally, and that's what we must all do." After the talk, Smith recited "People Have the Power," which has become an anthem for democratic movements around the world. During a Q&A session, an audience member, who said they had been joining nightly protests before the Atomic Bomb Dome in the peace park to show solidarity with Palestinians, asked what people can do to take action toward a better world. Referring to the Israeli military's invasion into Gaza, Smith said, "This is not war, but destruction on people." Quoting a line from her song -- "I believe everything we dream can come to pass through our union" -- Smith insisted, "We all want simple human things, and we have to fight for them together. Not just for one country, or one child, but all children, all countries, all people." "It's the people who can vote and take to the streets. We can't stop fighting, we can't stop praying, we can't stop joining together. That is our great hope, to love and to unify." Hideaki Nishimura, a 56-year-old longtime fan of Smith, said, "I felt a rush of excitement listening to the poem. I also want to do my part by listening to firsthand experiences of war, and learn more about war from all perspectives." Smith had last visited Hiroshima in 2013, during her Japan tour, where she included a charity drive to raise money for children who lost their parents in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. (By Chinami Takeichi, Hiroshima Bureau)
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Patti Smith reveals health update after collapsing on stage during performance
Iconic musician Patti Smith has revealed an update on her health following a startling incident in which she collapsed on stage during a performance in São Paulo, Brazil. Following the 78-year-old "Because the Night" singer-songwriter falling to the stage amid a Wednesday evening set as part of a project with German group Soundwalk Collective, Smith recounted the moment and assured fans that she was okay. 'I'm fine. You can hear I'm fine,' she told the Associated Press after footage from the event surfaced online, which showed her on stage in a wheelchair. 'The whole thing has been grossly exaggerated.' Related: Patti Smith reacts to Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department shout-out: 'Thank you, Taylor' Smith told the outlet that she was "checked out by an excellent doctor and was absolutely fine" following the collapse, and asked her fans to "not accept any other account" of the ordeal. "With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention," she finished. Earlier, Smith released a statement on Instagram, again urging people to scale back their concern. "This is letting everyone know that I am fine. A grossly exaggerated account is being spread by the press and social media. I had some post migraine dizziness. Had a small incident, left the stage, and returned 10 minutes later and talked to the people, told them I was fine and sang them Wing and Because the night," she wrote in a caption underneath a photo of herself smiling. "I was checked out by an excellent Doctor and was absolutely fine. Please do not accept any other story. With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention. Thank you everyone for your concern. Trust me I am fine." Soundwalk Collective also released a joint statement with Smith to their Instagram Story, indicating that they were canceling the evening's performance amid Smith's recovery, due to doctors advising that the recording artist needed "a little more time to be at her best" before returning to the stage. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a representative for Smith for additional comment. In December 2023, Smith also endured a health scare that forced her to cancel Italian tour dates after a sudden illness and subsequent Horses album visionary and punk-rock legend previously discussed her health in a 2020 interview with The Guardian, in which she addressed a bronchial condition. "I was a sickly kid, sometimes they were worried that I wouldn't pull through," Smith said at the time. "I had so much responsibility and a true purpose. To be in limbo almost 10 months, for a person like me who doesn't like sitting in the same place, it's been very challenging. I feel like I'm part-wolf, roaming from room to room." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Patti Smith apologizes for canceling show after collapsing onstage in Brazil
SAO PAULO (AP) — Veteran singer and poet Patti Smith has reassured fans that she is "fine' after collapsing during a presentation in Brazil and later returning to apologize to the audience for ending her show early. Video published on social media showed the 78-year-old lying on the stage of the venue in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night. 'I'm fine. You can hear I'm fine,' she told The Associated Press on Thursday morning when reached by phone. 'The whole thing has been grossly exaggerated.' She added that a statement she published on her Instagram, in which she said she had experienced post-migraine dizziness, 'speaks for itself.' 'I was checked out by an excellent doctor and was absolutely fine. Please do not accept any other account. With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention,' Smith posted. The Cultura Artística Theater said it canceled Thursday's evening performance, after initially saying it would happen as scheduled. Smith has been in Sao Paulo for a two-day presentation of the 'Correspondences' project with the Berlin-based group Soundwalk Collective. During the performance, she recited some of her writings alongside musicians. Soundwalk Collective said that Smith had suffered from an intense migraine for the past couple of days but 'still wanted to be there for all of us and you and perform.' The group posted a statement, signed by them and Smith, to their Instagram stories. A second statement, posted late Thursday afternoon, said the group had decided to cancel the second performance 'with much sadness.' 'Patti is now recovering strongly but our caring doctors say she needs a little more time to be at her best," the artists said. Smith collapsed about 30 minutes into the event while reading a text about climate change, according to local media. She fell on stage and remained there for a few minutes before receiving assistance. 'She clearly felt dizzy. She started moving backward and fell in a way — I think she tried to support herself on the microphone or the music stand. And everything fell on top of her. It was a bizarre scene,' Micheline Alves, a journalist who was sitting in one of the front rows, said in a phone interview. Alves said that a doctor, who was in the audience, went onstage to check on Smith. 'After a few minutes, we saw that she wasn't unconscious. She got up on her own,' Alves added. She was then placed in a wheelchair and taken backstage. She later returned in a wheelchair and apologized, video on local media showed. 'Unfortunately, I got sick, and the doctor said I can't finish. So we will have to figure something out. And I feel very badly,' Smith said. The audience responded in English: 'Don't be! We love you!' The artist then sang 'Wing' and 'Because the Night' a capella. 'It was very beautiful because she was very sad, very vulnerable about not being able to do the show,' said Alves. — Italie reported from New York. Gabriela Sá Pessoa And Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
